Wesley Corpus

“As to the way to faith, you believe, That the way to attain it is, to wait for Christ, and be still; that is, Not to use (what we term) the means of grace: Not to go to church: Not to communicate: Not to fast: Not to use so much private prayer: Not to read the Scripture: (Because you believe, these are not means of grace; that is, do not ordinarily convey | God’s grace to unbelievers; and, That it is impossible for a man to use them without trusting in them:) Not to do temporal good: Nor to attempt doing spiritual good. (Because you believe, no fruit of the Spirit is given by those who have it not themselves: And, that those who have not faith are utterly blind, and therefore unable to guide other souls.) “Whereas I believe, The way to attain it is, to wait for Christ and be still: In using all the means of grace. Therefore I believe it right, for him who knows he has not faith, (that is, that conquering faith:) To go to church: To communicate: To fast: To use as much private prayer as he can: and, To read the Scripture: (Because I believe, these are “means of grace;’ that is, do ordinarily convey God’s grace to unbelievers; and That it is possible for a man to use them, without trusting in them:) To do all the temporal good he can: And to endeavour after doing spiritual good. (Because I know, many fruits of the Spirit are given by those who have them not themselves: And that those who have not faith, or but in the lowest degree, may have more light from God, more wisdom for the guiding of other souls, than many that are strong in faith.)